This project focuses on the satisfactions and costs of children, as perceived by parents. Based on a national sample of the United States, the study provides, for the first time, baseline data on motivations for having children, as an aid to the formulation and evaluation of population policies. Social, economic, and psychological dimensions of the value of children are assessed, and information is obtained about the activities and goals that may serve as alternatives to children. The study is part of an international project involving six other countries and thus will also contribute importantly to a comparative understanding of the determinants of fertility.